Scrapple is sold and savored throughout the United States

BRUNCH

"Scrapple has its detractors; it is a love-it-or-leave-it sort of food," writes William Woys Weaver in his new book, "Country Scrapple, An American Tradition" (Stackpole Books, 2003, $19.95, 162 pp.).

Weaver, a respected food historian, explores the ancient history of scrapple, now a staple of truck stops and country diners everywhere.

Originally developed to use up scraps and leftovers from butchering, scrapple as Pennsylvanians know it is a mush made from pork and cereal, which is then sliced and fried.

There are many types of scrapple, says Weaver, who includes recipes in his book. The version known as Philadelphia scrapple is made with buckwheat, as it was in northwest Germany. In Ohio it's made with beef and oats. Along the Carolina coast, scrapple is made with rice. Native Americans made buffalo scrapple. Vegetarians use nuts. One recipe dating to the 1890s in New Jersey uses clams, crab, grits and cornmeal.

Almost every culture has its version of scrapple. France has its country pates, Holland has "balkenbrij," and Germany has liver pudding. The Pennsylvania Dutch word for it, "Panhas," can be traced to the Celtic word, "panna," the word for the pot it was cooked in by ancient Gauls.

Today, scrapple is sold widely. Several Pennsylvania companies, including Alderfer Meats, Leidy's, Hatfield and Dietz and Watson, make it. So do most country butcher shops. Hint: If one store's scrapple isn't delicious enough, try another's.

According to Weaver, scrapple is properly cooked in a heavy, cast-iron pan, first heated until it begins to smoke, then turned down very low when the scrapple is added.

What condiment to eat with scrapple? Weaver says his Pennsylvania grandmother served scrapple for Sunday breakfasts with eggs, toast, homemade jellies, and "scrapple sauce," usually a pepper hash or green tomato relish. Some Pennsylvania Germans favor chow chow. Some eat it with ketchup, some with molasses, or maple syrup. In the south, scrapple is called liver mush and eaten with creamed corn.

"The feature that makes scrapple special no matter how it is served is that it seems to define something essentially regional and essentially American," writes Weaver. "It is one of those down-home foods that set us apart from the rest of the postindustrial world."

Weaver, who lives in Devon, Chester County, is a frequent contributor to Gourmet magazine, and recipient of three Julia Child Cookbook awards. His other books include "Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking," "Sauerkraut Yankees," and "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening."